Heating device



IIIII IIIII A INVENTOR.

im /iW/zs ya aan@ BYQC y v HEATING DEVICE F. K. VAN ALMELO y Filed April 9. 1941 May 18, 1943 Patented May 18, 1943 HEATING DEVICE Frederick Kunst Van Almelo, Nassau, N. Y., as-

signor to Consolidated Car Heating Company,

Inc., Albany, N. Y.,

a corporation of New York Application April 9, 1941, serial No. 387,697

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a heating device utilizing liquid fuel and particularly vaporized liquid fuel.

A principal object of this invention is the production of a device of the type specified which provides a means for vaporizing a liquid fuel andthen conducting that vaporized fuel to another point to be burned.

A further object of the invention is the production of a device of the type specified which is provided with a combustion chamber and combustion products conducting means wherein the pressure therein is less than the surrounding atmospheric pressure.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of the particular physical embodiments selected to illustrate the invention progresses and the novel features will be particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail and ther particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention, 'reference will be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

The single view is a-diagrammatic or schematic View of a device embodying the invention.

The particular form of device used to illustrate the invention is a steam boiler adapted to be heated by means of the present invention for the purpose of generating steam.

The arrangement and device, generally considered, includes a steam boiler I having a combustion chamber 2 in which vaporized fuel is burned, derived from fuel dropping upon the `vaporizer 2a obtained from a fuel supply 3 and includes an exhaust fan 4 which furnishes a current of air for vaporizing the fuel and means for exhausting the combustion products from the combustion chamber and the heat exchange tubes 5 through which the combustion products pass to have' their heat absorbed by the fluid in the boiler I.

The arrangement as shown in the View is with all parts arranged in non-running or non-operating position wherein no combustion is taking place in combustion chamber 2. Y

In starting the device, when the parts are belowv a predetermined minimum temperature, the manually operable switch 6 would be thrown to the closed position, as shown in dotted lines, whereupon current will flow from a positive terminal of a source 1, through wires 8 and 9, the switch 6, and the vwire I0, to the auxiliary heating coil Il and thence by wire I2 to the ground'and toA the negative terminal lof the source. Current flowing through auxiliary heater II will cause this heater to give off heat.

After auxiliary heater II has been sufficiently heated, the manually operable switch I3 is closed so that current then ows from the positive terminal of a source 1, through wires 8, I4, and I5, switch I3 and wire I6 to the motor I1, and then through the motor and through the wire I8 to ground and so back to the negative terminal of the source.

The operationA of the motor causes the pump 3I to operate and draw fuel from the supply of fuel 3 through the Ipipe 32 and discharge it into the pipe 33 and through the restricted orifice 34. The fuel can pass no farther than the electromagnetic valve 29 which is at the moment unenergized for a reason to be hereinafter explained, consequently, the fuel passes through the orifice 35 into the hollow bellows-like body or sylphon 39, expanding it lengthwise and compressing the spring 38. Thus a body of fuel accumulates in this sylphon, to be discharged later by the energy stored in spring 38, at the moment the valve 29 opens.

With the auxiliary heater II energized and the motor I1 operating, the exhaust fan 4 will be operated and will draw air through the atmospheric orifice I9 through the combustion air duct 20, over the auxiliary heater II, through the vaporizer 2a and over the thermostat 2 I.

The thermostat 2I is in such condition when at below a predetermined temperature that the circuit therethrough is open but when the air, warmed by passing over auxiliary heater II, comes in contact with thermostat 2|, the thermostat is heated and when sufficient fuel has accumulated in 39, the switch 6I is closed and a circuit is closed so that then current may flow in a path as follows: positive terminal of the source 1, wires 8, I4 and 22, contact 23, of the thermostat 2I, conducting bridge 25, contact point 23, andwires 21 and 62, and switch 6I to electromagnetic valve 29 and through this valve by wire 30 to ground and so to the negative terminal'ofthe source. Y

When valve 29 is energized, an opening is made between pipes 40 and 4I and the stored fuel in sylphon 39 ows through pipe 4I on to vaporizer 2a landing on thegtop shelf thereof and then running on down from shelf to shelf until the overflow comes out at the pipe 43 to be recovered in any suitable manner. This vaporizer in detail is exactly like the vaporizer shown and described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 387,698 filed April 9, 1941.

The opening between pipes 43 and 4I is sufcient to allow an augmented supply of fuel to reach the vaporizer, that is, a larger quantity per unit of time but is not of suicient size to allow any pressure to build up in pipe 4|.

The fuel flowing over the vaporizer 2a comes in contact with a current of air through the combustion air duct 20 heated by the auxiliary heater and so is vaporized and passes over the thermostat 2| keeping it heated and in closed circuit condition and passes through the safety screen 44 and through the burner grate 45 and issuing therefrom comes in contact with an ignition means, preferably a spark plug 46.

When vaporized fuel comes in contact with the spark plug 46, under the conditions above stated, it would be ignited because when a circuit was closed through thermostat 2| through the electromagnetic valve 29, there Was also a circuit formed as follows: positive terminal of the source '1, wires 8, |4 and 22, contact point 23, conducting bridge 25, Contact point 2S, Wires 21 and 41, primary 48 of an induction coil, wire 49 vibrator 50, contact point and wires 52 and 53 to ground and so to the negative terminal of the source. Current flowing in the above traced path will energize secondary 54 and cause a spark to be generated at the spark plug 46 which will ignite the vaporized fuel issuing through the burner grate 45 so that combustion will take place in the combustion chamber 2 generating heat therein and the combustion products and heat will pass up through the heat exchange tubes 5 to the combustion products chamber 55 and thence by means of duct 56 to the exhaust fan 4 and thence to atmosphere at 5l.

The operations above described will continue indefinitely or just so long as fuel is present in the supply 3. If it is desired to stop the heat,

switches 6 and |3 are opened simultaneously, ory

preferably, manually operable switch 6| will first be opened, which will close electromagnetic valveV 29 and then after a short interval during which motor will operate to scavenge all of the combustible products out of the combustion chamber and the heat exchange tubes 5, switches 6 and i3 will be opened.

It will be noticed that applicants vaporized liquid fuel heating means is so constructed that there is no opportunity for vaporized fuel or the combustion products formed by burning such fuel to leak into any surrounding spaces because all of the spaces in which there is vaporized fuel or in which there are combustion products are at subatmospheric pressure due to the exhaust caused by the fan 4, so danger of combustible vapor leaking into surrounding space is obviated and danger of poisonous combustible products leaking into surrounding space is also obviated.

It is to be observed also that after combustion once takes place in the chamber 2 that the air coming through combustion air duct 20 is heated because that duct passes through combustion products chamber 55 `and is so exposed to the heat in that chamber, which serves to heat the air in the duct 20, that it is in better condition to vaporize fuel in the vaporizer 2a. Due to this, switch 6 could be opened at any time after duc# 20 becomes suiliciently heated.

Due to the restricted orice 34 the fuel supplied to vaporizer 2a is never above atmospheric pressure because the orifice at 34 is of predetermined size and of such size that the fuel supplied therethrough will not be suiflcient to cause any pressure in the pipe 4| when electromagnetic valve 29 is energized so that the liquid fuel drops upon the vaporizer 2a at atmospheric pressure.

As the fuel would normally be supplied to the vaporizer 2a in a small amount just sufcient to keep the device running, it is desirable to have an augmented supply of fuel at the moment of starting and this is accomplished by the device of sylphon 39 and its associated parts. By utilizing this device, a reservoir of fuel is filled which may be allowed to instantly flow into the pipe 4| and so cause a Very largely augmented supply of fuel to be supplied to the vaporizer 2a for the purpose of quick and proper starting of the device.

It is to be understood that applicants method of Vaporizing fuel and burning it has been shown in connection with a steam boiler only for the purpose of illustration and not for the purpose 0f limiting the application of the inventive means disclosed and it is not intended to exclude by the particular showing the use of the novel means of burning liquid fuel and utilizing the heat thereby formed in connection with other and appropriate apparatus.

Although I have described one particular physical embodiment of my invention and explained the operation, construction and principle thereof, nevertheless, I desire to have it understood that the form selected is merely illustrative but does not exhaust the possible physical embodiments of the idea of means underlying my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A heater, including, in cgrnbination: a heat exchange duct; a combustion air inlet duct in heatv exchange relation to said first mentioned duct whereby air passing therethrough may be heated; means for creating a flow of air in said combustion air inlet duct; means f or heating said air prior to the heating thereof by Said heat exchange duct; a combustion chamber communicating with said heat exchange duct; -rneans in said combustion air inlet duct for vaporizing liquid fuel therein; a supply of liquid fuel; means for supplying liquid fuel to the vaporizing means; means for lgnltine vaporized fuel in the ,C9111- bustion chamber and means interposed between the supply of liquid fuel and the vaporizer for temporarily storing the fuel u nder pressureV and then automatically Supplying en augmented Supply 0f liquid.

2. A heater, including, in combination: a snp? ply of liquid fuel; a vaporizer; a combustien Chamber: means., including a conduit frQm the supply to the Vaporzer for cgndutillg fuel 119 the vaporizer; storage means, interposed in the line of the conduit, including a vessel haying a chamber connecting to said fuel conduit, said chamber adapted to be enlarged or decreased in volumetric capacity, the liquid fuel causing increase in volumetric capacity and a yieldable means adapted to cause decrease in volumetric capacity; a valve having an open position and a biased closed position, interposed in the conduit between the storage means and the vaporizer; means operating said valve to open position; a restriction in said conduit between the supply and the storage means; said conduit beingof such size from the storage means to the vaporizer that the fuel supplied thereto does not build up a pressure in the conduit While the valve is open. whereby fuel from the supply is Stored by the storage means only while the said valve is in closed positionl and whereby when the valve is opened the stored supply rushes into the conduit as an augmented supply.

3. A heater, including, in combination: a supply of-liquid fuel; a vaporizer; a combustion chamber; means, including a conduit from the supplyjto the vaporizer for conducting fuel 'to the vaporizer; storage means, interposed in the line of`v the conduit, including a vessel having a chamber connecting to said fuel conduit, said chamber adapted to be enlarged or decreased in volumetric capacity, the liquid fuel causing in# crease in volumetric capacity and a` yieldable means adapted to cause decrease in volumetric capacity; a valve, having an open position and a biased closed position, interposed in the con-v duit between the storage means and the vaporizer; means operating said valve to open position; a restriction in said conduit between the supply and the storage means; said conduit being of such size from the storage means to the vaporizer that the fuel supplied thereto does not build up a pressure in the conduit while the valve is open whereby fuel from the supply is stored by the storage means only while the said valve is in closed position and whereby when the valve is opened the stored supply rushes into the conduit as an augmented supply; the means for opening the said valve including means` governed by the temperature of the vaporized fuel; and means for burning the vaporized fuel. l

4. A heater, including, in combination: a supply of liquid fuel; a conduit extending from the supply of fuel having a open f e*"d; means interposed in the conduit to restrictJ the flow of uid to that amount which will not build up a pressure in the conduit beyond the restriction means; a valve in the portion of the conduit beyond the restriction having a biased closed position and an open position; a side outlet in the conduit between the restriction and thevalve; a chamber into which said side outlet opens including pressure means for decreasing the' volume of the chamber whereby a volume .ofy liquid fuel will be formed in the chamber when the Valve is closed and be allowed to ow out into the conduit as a flood when the valveis opened; means for opening the valve whereby au augmented supply of fluid will be deliveredjfor starting; and means for vaporizing and burning the fuel.

FREDERICK KUNST ,VAN 

